WHTI IMPLEMENTATION: CANADA STILL HOPING FOR A

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 OTTAWA 003473

SIPDIS

NOFORN
SIPDIS

DEPT FOR WHA CAN, CA/PPT, DHS FOR INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/20/2016
TAGS: CA CPAS CVIS PREL PGOV
SUBJECT: WHTI IMPLEMENTATION: CANADA STILL HOPING FOR A
REPRIEVE


Classified By: POLMINCOUNS Brian Flora. Reasons: 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C/NF) SUMMARY: Comments and statements from a variety of
Canadian interlocutors, coupled with Canada's apparent lack
of serious preparations, indicate that the government will
continue to lobby to delay, alter, or kill the implementation
of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI). WHTI is
viewed negatively, almost emotionally, by most Canadians, and
the minority Conservative government doesn,t seem to have
the stomach or the political capital to embrace it and sell
it to a skeptical public. Many officials expect that the
current implementation deadlines will be extended, and some
now hope that, with the Democrats in control of Congress and
chairing the relevant committees, Canada will be exempted
from a program that successive Canadian governments (Liberal
and Conservative) have opposed from the outset. Despite
claiming to have a dual track policy (accepting the need to
move forward while arguing for delays and flexible
implementation),there is scant evidence of encouragement to
the public to get the necessary travel documents, but ample
evidence of active, well-orchestrated lobbying against the
initiative. END SUMMARY

WHTI IMPLEMENTATION: SAY IT,S NOT TRUE, SAM
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2. (C/NF) The message we are still getting from our private
sector and official Canadian interlocutors, especially in the
densely populated Ottawa-to-Windsor corridor in Ontario, is
that WHTI implementation will be a disaster at the border,
impeding commerce, damaging the economy, and causing major
disruptions at busy crossings. Where we describe the ongoing
process as streamlining or making a smart border smarter,
their widely circulated talking points bemoan it as an
unfortunate thickening of a border between friends. The
recently announced possibility for a delay (until June
2009)for land border implementation, while welcomed, has not
had much impact on their oposition to WHTI. Despite Mission
Canada and Washington,s public diplomacy efforts to get the
word out regarding WHTI, the ramping up of passport issuance
in the U.S., and plans to roll out Pass-Card, Canadians do
not believe the U.S. can possibly be ready for on-time
implementation, especially at the land borders. There is
even skepticism regarding the upcoming January 2007 air
implementation date, despite the fact that an estimated 70 to
80 percent of travelers already use passports for travel to
the U.S. We note, in any case, if problems arise, the press
(and politicians of all stripes) will be quick to blame
Washington.


3. (C/NF) Though more circumspect, most of our official
interlocutors tend also to be skeptical. They are grasping
for alternatives to the WHTI documentation requirements and
are asking that we reassure the public that implementation
will be phased in slowly and flexibly. Public Safety
Minister Day, the lead minister on WHTI, took this approach
with Secretary Chertoff at the November 15-16 Cross Border
Crime Forum Ministerial. He again raised the issue of using
drivers, licenses, possibly with enhanced security features,
as a Canadian alternative to a passport or U.S. style
Pass-Card, citing a proposed Washington State-British
Columbia pilot project. Proportionately more Canadians than
QColumbia pilot project. Proportionately more Canadians than
Americans already have passports; but while the U.S. Passport
Agency is cranking them out in record numbers, there are
apparently no plans for a similar effort on the Canadian side
to meet WHTI-generated demand. The Canadian Passport Office
tells us that wait times are still under four weeks and that
demand for passports has begun to climb, especially in
Western Canada ( up 20 percent over last year). At least
some of this is WHTI-driven. However, due to budgeting and
procurement requirements, it will likely be another two years
before Canada even starts producing the E-passports which
have become the new ICAO standard. Even a partial quick-fix
such as extending the validity of adult passports from five
to ten years doesn,t seem to be under serious consideration;
nor is Ottawa expending much effort in getting the word out
regarding the WHTI implementation process and deadlines.
Many expect the implementation dates to be kicked further
down the road and hold out hope that the new
Democratic-controlled Congress will move in this direction,
and may eventually exempt Canada from the WHTI requirement.

THE POLITICS OF WHTI: NO WINNERS IN THIS ONE
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4. (C/NF) The Conservative minority government in Ottawa,

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under heavy political attack over its combat role in
Afghanistan, environmental policies, and Prime Minister
Harper,s pro-Israel foreign policy tilt doesn,t seem to
want to tackle WHTI, especially in the run-up to probable
spring elections. WHTI is so unpopular that the government
feels it cannot afford to endorse it publicly, or advocate a
parallel documentation program on the Canadian side of the
border. This would cost them votes and expose them to
opposition criticism that, despite Harper,s perceived
pro-American positions, he is unable to deliver on an issue
that directly affects Canadians.


5. (C/NF) So, while Mission Canada and U.S. agencies charged
with WHTI implementation are working overtime to lay the
groundwork for a smooth road forward, the Canadian government
and much of the affected private sector are wringing hands
and hoping for further delays or even an exemption. Despite
the Congressional decision to authorize an if-needed delay,
many continue to lobby potential allies in the U.S. to
undermine implementation. They are also quick to give undue
weight to the comments of those who show sympathy or
understanding for their opposition to WHTI. Our concern for
some time is that the chaos the Canadians have been
predicting will be self-fulfilling, if in large part due to
their unwillingness to say the magic phrase to the Canadian
public: get your passport.

Visit Canada's Classified Web Site at
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/wha/ottawa

WILKINS